I keep a good eye on the Firearm Industry as far as the Sporting aspect and sometimes it worries me. With the political view on buy American these days, and most of us wishing to be patriotic I try I really do. But sometimes when I see the high price of American outdoor gear as opposed to just plain quality I am prone to slip a bit.
I’m going to start with a good example of how it should be, Henry Repeating Arms. They say “Made in America or not made at all.” I’m convinced this is true American Gun Making at its best. It gives the customer exactly what he pays for. This is a lifetime quality rifle no matter which one you pick. Still I hear gripes about the price. Well in this case you get what you pay for.
My Remington 1100, and Browning A-5 still work just fine since the 1960s. Back then the Remington was $186 and the Browning $315, try to touch that now. However if I wanted to match the quality with the performance and didn’t want to spend an arm and a leg I would look at Yildiz of Turkey and CZ of the Chez Republic. I don’t see anything wrong with that.
Of my 4 present 22 rifles, 3 out of 4 are American Made. First the Henry of course is flawless in operation it was an instant pet rifle. Then we have the Marlin 25 in 22 magnum (my first gun was a Marlin 25) I have stopped the charge of two wild boars with that rifle and I will attest that operates fast and flawless. My most recent addition was a used Ruger 77/22 this rifle is typical great US manufacturing. Then the ringer a CZ-452 Lux, this one will in fact spank the rest in accuracy. All will shoot a group you can cover with a dime so who cares?
Rule number one, quit griping about the price if you want a good US Made Rifle or Shotgun. If you want something less expensive with good quality you just might have to go overseas. Funny that the US Military does just that, including Beretta and Sig.
My new skinning knife made of beautiful Damascus steel and buffalo horn, hand made in Pakistan, was only $50, you can get the same thing here for about $250.
I shoot all kinds of factory ammo. My Ruger Scout Rifle .308 doesn’t like Winchester ammo but loves Fiocchi of Italy. My European Combination gun 30-06 loves anything Winchester you fire in it. All my 22 rifles like Wolf Match Extra (Russia), Aguila (Mexico), and Winchester USA. Sometimes you have to let the gun decide.,
Yes, I prefer to buy American, but remember America is a melting pot of great craftsmen that come from everywhere. The old adages of “Only accurate rifles are interesting”
and “It ain’t the arrow its the Indian” gives us a hint that it doesn’t matter where its made but how its used that makes a difference. My personal rule is simple “Use anything that works.” Pass it on.
By John Simeone